Plaster-hook.



C. A. FORD.

PLAS'IER HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1914.

1,099,741 Patented June 9,1914.

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CHARLES A. FORD, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO FORD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PLASTER-HOOK.

To all whom t muy concern.'

Be it known that I, CnanLns A. Fem), a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plaster-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in picture hooks such as are utilized for hanging articles upon a plaster wall or the like, the object of the invention being to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the weight of the picture or article being suspended is distributed over a large area so as to enable the plaster to carry a comparatively heavy weight without being ruptured and broken.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a plaster hook for pictures and the like which is simple and inexpensive in its construct-ion and can be readily formed from a single length of wire, which can be readily driven into position without disguring the hook or injuring the wall, and which avoids the tendency of the outer end of the 'driven member to swing downwardly under the weight of the picture and thereby obtain a leverage upon the plaster for breaking the same.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a front elevation of a picture hanging hook constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a top plan view thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present ent-- bodiment of the invention, the numeral l. designates the nail or driven member which is adapted to enter the plaster, brick, or other material of which the wall may be composed. The device may be readily Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 7, 1914.

Patented Julie S), 1914. Serial No. 810,794.

formed from a single length of wire or other suitable material, one end of which provides the driven member l. The extremity of the driven member is sharpened at la and this sharpened point is preferably hardened so as to be readily driven into brick work or other hard material. At the opposite end of the driven member 1 the wire is returned at an acute angle to the driven member, as indicated at 2, thereby providing a rounded driving head 3. After being bent at an acute angle to the driving member or nail l, the wire is coiled in substantially the form of a spiral as indicatedy at l to provide a flat head adapted to lit closely against the outer surface of the wall. 'This head 4 is flat and arranged in a plane which is intersected at an acute angle by the nail l. After forming the spiral head 4l, the free end of the wire is extended downwardly and returned upwardly to provide the suspending hook 5.

.lt will be observed that the suspendingl hook 5 projects downwardly from the head Ll and that the nail l is inclined downwardly at an acute angle to the plane of the head 4l. The head e has a flat formation so as to lit closely against the surface of the wall, the hook 5 projecting outwardly from the plane of the head at the lower end thereof, while the curved driving head 3 of the nail l projects outwardly from the interior of the head so as to be readily engaged by a hammer or like tool when driving the device in position without danger of striking against and disfiguring the flat spiral head fl.

In the operation of the device, the nail l is designed to be driven into the vertical surface of a wall composed of plaster or the like, the hook 5 being pendent from the head while the nail enters the wall with the point and shank thereof inclined downwardly and rearwardly. llVhen drivingthe nail into position, a hammer may be used, the blows of the hammer being directed upon the forwardly projecting driving head 3 so as to be transmitted directly to the nail l and avoid bending or disliguring the device. When the device has been properly driven into position, the spiral head 4 lits closely against the flat surface of the wall, the hook 5 being pendent from the head and the nail l being inclined downwardly within the wall.

The entire device is rigid so that the weight of the picture instead of being suspended loosely upon the outer end of the nail in such a manner as to tend to swing the same downwardly, tends to move the entire device downwardly as a unitary structure. The nail l is thus relieved of all bending or swinging tendencies and merely has a tendency to move vertically downward, always at the same inclination to the vertical, thereby evenly distributing the weight throughout the body of the plaster so as to admit of comparatively heavy weights being carried without the plaster pulling through.

Where an ordinary nail is driven into the wall and the picture hung loosely upon the projecting end of the nail, there is a tendency for the projecting end of the nail to swing downwardly about the outer surface of the wall as a ulcrum, the point of the nail having a corresponding tendency to swing upwardly. The weight is thus concentrated at the outer face of the wall instead of being evenly distributed throughout the wall, and the leverage obtained upon the wall by the nail causes even a slight weight upon the nail to break the plaster. This objection is eliminated by the present construction in which the nail l is absolutely rigid with the head l so that it must move bodily downward, always assuming` a position parallel to its former position and being at the same inclination to the vertical, thereby distributing the load evenly throughout the entire length of the nail and avoiding the lever .action of the nail which would otherwise be present.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. As a new article of manufacture, a plaster hook formed from a single length of wire and including a flat head formed by coiling an intermediate portion of the wire in the form of a spiral, said flat head being adapted to lit squarely against a wall, a suspending hoolr pendent from the flat head and formed by bending one end of the wire, and a nail member projecting rearwardly from substantially the central portion of the head and disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the head, said nail member being formed from the opposite end of the wire.

2. A picture hook formed from a single length of wire and including a flat head formed by coiling an intermediate portion of the wire and adapted to t against a wall, a suspending hook pendent from the flat head and formed by bending one end of the wire, a nail member projecting rearwardly from the fiat head and formed from the opposite end of the wire, and a driving head at the outer end of the nail, said driving head being formed by crimping the wire and projecting outwardly beyond the plane of the Hat head.

3. A picture hook formed from a single length of wire and including a nail formed by sharpening one end of the wire, the wire being returned at the head of the nail to provide a driving head and then coiled spirally to provide a flat head adapted to lit against the wall and arranged transversely with respect to the nail, the said nail projecting from one side of the plane of the lat head and being disposed at an acute angle thereto while the driving head projects rom the opposite side of the plane of the flat head, the other end of the wire being bent to form a hook pendent from the head.

ln testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. FORD.

lllitnesses JOHN J. LnDwrrH, HENRY Bossier.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, ID. C. 

